Study Abroad in St. Petersburg: Courses

Recommended credits are shown in parentheses. Courses are subject to
change at the discretion of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.

Russian Language and Liberal Arts Program

Course level is determined by a placement test once in St. Petersburg. Students are advised to obtain approval for several different levels of Russian from their academic advisors in the U.S. before traveling to Russia in order to ensure that they can receive credit for the level that they test into.

Russia’s recent historical background from the October Revolution to the collapse of the USSR. The seizure of Russia by the Bolsheviks in October 1917 through the Civil War (1918-1922), Stalin’s role and that of his Communist followers. Problems of reforms under Communist domination (N.S. Khrushchev, M.S. Gorbachev), the mellowing of the Communist dictatorship, growing corruption of elites and the final demise of Communist dictatorship.

Literature 307 (3) |
19th Century Russian Literature

Reading key works in translation, students trace the history of classical Russian literature from 11th century beginnings to the turn of the 20th century. A major focus is on 19th century writers such as Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Gogol and Chekhov.

Literature 309 (3) |
Contemporary Russian Literature

Focus is on major themes of Russian literature since 1917, with students reading (in translation) highly regarded works written both in Russia and abroad.

Political Science/Sociology 311 (3) |
Contemporary Russian Life

Major elements of contemporary Russian life: law, economics, government, healthcare, art and education. Topics include the “non-Russian nationality” question since 1985 and economic effects of Perestroika, the role of the Russian Orthodox Church, and international relations of Russia with the CIS and with the world.